Art Statement Revised: No hoity toity.

Andro Gyno is a short video that explodes the notion of gender as a static category. By presenting an androgynous body accessorized with objects that take on masculine, feminine or gender blended characteristics depending upon how they are arranged on the body, the video asks the viewer to imagine gender as an expression one adopts, rather than a category prescribed by anatomy and chromosomes.


p.s. This is a special shout out to Liv and Heidi and a reminder that I'm not a full on academic-speak nuthead.

Let them eat cake.

Just back from a groovy night of artsy adventures.

It started by sharing my DVD and Final Cut project with a friend and was followed by a visit to a new art co-op called Chop Chop a very DIY kinda place where we bid on some art and talked to the young owner about displaying our work in their space. Very cool and very much an exercise in putting myself out there as an artist.

From there we crashed Mayor Mike Coleman's birthday party at BOMA. We didn't set out to crash the party, but thought BOMA would be a good place for a drink, being an art gallery and all. It turned out when we got there that it was a private party, but we just walked right in and made ourselves at home, even though we stuck out like a sore thumb (two white dykes in a sea of black professionals)!

Actually, we joined them for cake.

Final Project Edit 2

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A cleaned up version of my final project Art 661.01. I like this one better, but I must admit I am not that fond of the title of the video, but my brain was fried when I tried to name it and I haven't had any other ideas since then. Let me know if you do.

Art Statement

Andro Gyno


Sex is a biological status, the designation of one as male or female based on anatomy and chromosomes. Gender is a social/psychological status, the designation of one as masculine or feminine based on socially and culturally defined behaviors, mannerisms, expressions, etc.

The short video Andro Gyno explores the fluid and permeable status of gender identity by subjecting a neutral body (a body read/coded as neither fully masculine or feminine) to masculinely or femininely defined poses, behaviors, etc. as a function of accessories applied to the body. In other words, the neutral body is marked/read masculine or feminine by the accessories there displayed; the body is accessorized.

A tie, hat, shoes, a scarf or combination thereof can all be read/interpreted as masculine or feminine depending on how they are arranged on the body. In turn, the body lends alternating meaning to the accessories as it responds/reacts to culturally defined stereotypes associated with each accessory.

Watching the neutral body as it responds in flux to these culturally loaded stereotypes exposes gender identity as an artificial, socially constructed, mutable category; something a body adopts rather than something inherent or natural to a body.

The viewer is introduced first to the notion of polarized gender identitites, and is then forced to quickly consider the possibility of blended gender expressions. Split screens display the neutral body as masculine and feminine simultaneously. Alternating accessories stretch the body from masculine to feminine and then back again. The erratically changing body is finally shown in the slow and meticulous act of 'putting on' a marker of anatomical maleness-facial hair.

In a matter of two minutes the neutral body transforms to a body that is now easily marked male. In the final frame, the body turns its gaze to the viewer, breaking the distance between the subject and the viewer, forcing the voyeur to see the body as 'real' and consequently gender as mutable, artificial and socially constructed.

Ahem,

there are some things about turning 36 that have really sucked.

For example:

I am no longer part of "the youth vote," which encompasses 18-35 year olds(admittedly a large spread, but it felt good to be in that demographic).

I am now closer to getting my first mailing from the AARP than I am to being legal drinking age.

When I enter my age on the fitness machines at the gym, I now have to push the up arrow rather than the down arrow to reach the appropriate age (seems 35 is considered middle age to the Pre-Cor machine).

When I teach freshman at OSU, I am now twice the age of my students.

The furrow in my brow has settled in for good, I can feel it even in my most expressionless moments.

I'm not sure, but I think my eyesight is starting to fail me just a bit...sometimes 2's look like 3's from far away. Even if it isn't actually changing, I am now old enough to have to consider the fact if I am having a hard time seeing, it could just be becuase I am getting to that age.

But, by far, the most disturbing thing about being over 35 has been the moment I experienced tonight when a friend told me that pregnant women my age are referred to by medical professionals as 'elderly.'

ELDERLY?

Fuck that.

Andro Gyno

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An exploration into the fluid nature of male/female, masculine/feminine and the overlapping spaces between it all. Note: There is no sound to the video.

How to tell it's Turkey time in Ohio.

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A midwestern Thanksgiving tradition.

2673 Adams Ave.

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Welcome to my world!

Flaming Onion...revisited.

It has been nearly a year since I have been posting audio and video files on blogger and blip and in all that time, this sideways video has been my most viewed video file.

Unbelievable.

Click To Play

Talking Bus: Exposed

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Bus driver reveals mystery of the the talking school bus. Seems they are original to Columbus. Indeed, we are the test market of America.

Guten Morgen

Listen to the audio

Last Spring a new family moved in across the street. They have small children and with their arrival came an added bonus: A new morning, afternoon and evening ritual that sounds like so.

Exploits of the Underemployed

There was a time when I worked four jobs, exercised regularly, took care of a toddler one day a week, attended art and music classes, renovated our old home and juggled friends, family and a relationship.

Over the past two years my employment status has dwindled to one part time position augmented by occasional shifts the Coffee Table and the odd DJ job. The house is fixed (for the most part), I'm not motivated to exercise and I'm in an emotional rut.

Simply put, I am bored, uninspired, short of cash and in a seemingly perpetual state of underemployment.

So, to combat those burdens, I have found ways to supplement my cash flow and keep occupied. One such outlet has been to participate in research studies. My latest is the Healthy Heart study at OSU.

Thus far my participation has included physical and psychological stress tests, the surrender of 32 vials of blood, catheters in both right and left arms, subjection to electrodes all over my chest, magnetic tape around my neck and torso, breathing into a snorkel with my nose plugged up while on a stationary bike, delivering an impromptu 3 minute speech on camera, a swish and spit test, and a 40 page nutritional survey where I was asked just exactly what kind of fat I use on my baked potatoes...butter, sour cream, margarine or olive oil.



I need another job.

Press Pass

By the way, I made it into the press room at the Board of Elections, it's amazing how far you can get with a camera, a badge and a microphone.

Election Protection

Photos from my day with Video the Vote. The project was a joint effort between Video the Vote and Election Protection, both non-partisan groups whose goal is was to monitor polling stations for voting irregularities. I was dispatched to polls in Worthington, Hilliard, and the near East Side.

Not surprisingly, there were no problems to be found in the affluent, white suburbs. Several people snubbed when asked to talk on tape, but others were pleased to get the chance. The most interesting thing I found in the suburbs was the make up of the poll workers. I talked to a young white male high school student, a middle aged African American woman and a youngish Islamic woman wearing a head scarf. As usual there were many senior citizens helping out. The contrasting demographics across age was pretty stark.

I have already posted an interview I did with an African American woman on the near east side who was forced to vote provisionally even though she provided 2 forms of ID that matched the id information on file with the Board of Elections. In the 20 minutes I spent in this mostly African American precinct, I saw three people voting provisionally and talked with poll workers and voters who felt the election was rigged and that their vote would not be counted.

So much for the American way.

Video the Vote

Footage from my stint with Video the Vote on Election Day 2006.

IDKE 8 Movie

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Just for fun, a little slideshow/movie of IDKE 8.

Ooops, the sound didn't transfer. I'll try to fix it and repost. Sorry Charlies.

IDKE Movie

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Just for fun, a little slideshow/movie of IDKE 8.